Campus News in Brief

The School of Music will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year with over 250 events around campus. The events are scheduled to begin with a “Percussion Extravaganza,” which will showcase the various talents of percussionists and pianists.

Ensembles will feature established as well as upcoming musicians.

Performers include the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic with Ronald Zollman as music director, Wind Ensemble with Denis Colwell as conductor, Repertory Chorus and Concert Choirs with conductor Robert Page, Jazz Orchestra with director Eric DeFade, Symphony Orchestra with Ronald Zollman as music director, Chamber Orchestra with music director Ronald Zollman, Jazz Vocal Ensemble with director Thomas Douglas, Guitar Ensemble with Jim Ferla as director, and the Contemporary Ensemble.

The convocation will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, with an address from concert pianist Byron Janis. After the ceremony, Janis will hold a reception where attendees can see the screening of the documentary The Byron Janis Story. The following day, he will teach a master class in which he will work one-on-one with music students.

All three events will be held in the Kresge Theatre in the College of Fine Arts building and are free of charge and open to the public. Students are especially welcomed.

2011 Pittsburgh Biennial to take place in Miller Gallery

The 2011 Pittsburgh Biennial began Sept. 16 and will remain open until Dec. 11 at Carnegie Mellon’s Miller Gallery. This art exhibition has been showcased since 1994 and is co-hosted by the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, The Miller Gallery, and the Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA).

This year, the theme will be innovative works in which artists and organizations around Pittsburgh contribute their ideas in order to improve the final product.

“This unique collaboration among these organizations builds on the open exchange of ideas as well as the collaborative atmosphere PF/PCA cultivates,” said Laura Domencic, director of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. “These organizations have stepped outside of their regular programming to focus on the creative energy of Pittsburgh artists. They bring their valuable perspectives and resources, as well as a heightened recognition of our region’s most compelling visual artists.”

The exhibition is expected to include sculptures, printmaking, paintings, video, publications, and workshops. Aside from the showcase of various works, there are multiple free events offered, including a workshop titled “From Waste to Reuse” on Nov. 16 at the Miller Gallery beginning at 5 p.m.